# 始

| 始 | U+59CB, &#22987; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-59CB |
| ← 姊 [U+59CA] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 姌 → [U+59CC] |

## Translingual
### Han character

始 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 女戈口 (VIR), four-corner 4346$_0$, composition ⿰女台)

#### Derived characters

* 𡤔, 𪦲, 𦰯, 𠝔, 𤯯, 㗠, 𡤓

### Further reading

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 258, character 16
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6166
* Dae Jaweon: page 523, character 22
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1041, character 12
* Unihan data for U+59CB

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

| | Old Chinese |
| 胎 | *l̥ʰɯː |
| 台 | *l̥ʰɯː, *l'ɯː, *l'ɯː, *lɯ |
| 邰 | *l̥ʰɯː |
| 鮐 | *l̥ʰɯː, *lɯ |
| 孡 | *l̥ʰɯː |
| 苔 | *l'ɯː |
| 抬 | *l'ɯː |
| 駘 | *l'ɯː, *l'ɯːʔ |
| 炱 | *l'ɯː |
| 菭 | *l'ɯː, *l'i |
| 跆 | *l'ɯː |
| 殆 | *l'ɯːʔ |
| 怠 | *l'ɯːʔ |
| 迨 | *l'ɯːʔ |
| 紿 | *l'ɯːʔ |
| 詒 | *l'ɯːʔ, *lɯ |
| 軩 | *l'ɯːʔ |
| 咍 | *hlɯː |
| 佁 | *lɯːʔ, *l̥ʰɯs, *lɯʔ |
| 枲 | *slɯʔ |
| 辝 | *ljɯ |
| 鈶 | *ljɯʔ |
| 笞 | *l̥ʰɯ |
| 齝 | *l̥ʰɯ, *hljɯ |
| 眙 | *l̥ʰɯs, *lɯ |
| 治 | *l'ɯ, *l'ɯs, *l'is |
| 始 | *hljɯʔ |
| 怡 | *lɯ |
| 貽 | *lɯ |
| 飴 | *lɯ |
| 瓵 | *lɯ |
| 珆 | *li |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *hljɯʔ) : semantic 女 (“woman”) + phonetic 台 (OC *l̥ʰɯː, *l'ɯː, *l'ɯː, *lɯ).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): shǐ (shi$^3$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄕˇ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): si$^3$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ci$^2$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): ci$^2$
* Gan (Wiktionary): si$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): chhṳ́ / sṳ́
    (Hailu, HRS): chi$^ˊ$ / shi$^ˊ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): ci$^3$
* Jin (Wiktionary): sr$^2$
* Northern Min (KCR): sǐ
* Eastern Min (BUC): sṳ̄ / sé̤ṳ
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): si$^3$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): sí
    (Teochew, Peng'im): si$^2$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$sy
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): shr$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shǐ
*** Zhuyin: ㄕˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shǐh
*** Wade–Giles: shih$^3$
*** Yale: shř
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyy
*** Palladius: ши (ši)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: si$^3$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: s
*** Sinological IPA : /sz̩⁵³/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ci$^2$
*** Yale: chí
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsi$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: qi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰiː³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: ci$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰi⁵⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: si$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /sz̩²¹³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhṳ́ / sṳ́
*** Hakka Romanization System: cii$^ˋ$ / sii$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: ci$^3$ / si$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɨ³¹/, /sɨ³¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: chi$^ˊ$ / shi$^ˊ$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃʰi²⁴/, /ʃi²⁴/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: ci$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰz̩³¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: sr$^2$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /sz̩⁵³/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sǐ
*** Sinological IPA : /si²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: sṳ̄ / sé̤ṳ
*** Sinological IPA : /sy³³/, /søy²¹³/
* sṳ̄ - vernacular;
* sé̤ṳ - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit始 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /ʂʐ̩²¹⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /ʂʐ̩²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /sz̩¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /ʂʐ̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /ʂʐ̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /ʂʐ̩⁴⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /sz̩⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /sz̩⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /sz̩⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /ʂʐ̩⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /ʂʐ̩²¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²⁴/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /sz̩³⁵/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /sz̩ʷ⁵¹/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /sz̩⁵³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /sz̩³⁵/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /sz̩³⁵/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /ɕi³¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /ʂʐ̩⁴¹/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /ʂʐ̩⁴²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /sz̩²¹³/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /sz̩³¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /ʃï³¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /t͡sʰi³⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /t͡sʰi³⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /t͡sʰi³⁵/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /si⁵³/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /sy³²/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /si²¹/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /si⁵³/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /ti³¹/ |
* Middle Chinese: syiX
Rime :
| Character | 始 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 書 (26) |
| Final (韻) | 之 (19) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 詩止切 |
| Baxter | syiX |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ɕɨ$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ɕɨ$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ɕie$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ɕɨ$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /ɕiə$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /ɕĭə$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ɕi$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | shǐ |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | si$^2$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*l̥əʔ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*hljɯʔ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 始 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | shǐ |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ syi$^X$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*l̥əʔ/ |
| English | begin |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 始 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 12291 |
| Phonetic component | 台 |
| Rime group | 之 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 始 |
| Old Chinese | /*hljɯʔ/ |

### Definitions

始
* beginning; start
* to begin; to start
* initial; first
* proto-; eo-
* then; only then; only after
    Synonym: 才 (cái)
    From: 白居易, 《琵琶行》 (translated by Betty Tseng)
    Qiānhūwànhuàn shǐ chūlái, yóu bào pípá bàn zhē miàn. [Pinyin]
    It was after many invitations, call after call, before she showed herself. Even then, she held her pipa close and revealed only half of her countenance.

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “beginning”): 終／终 (zhōng)

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 始(し) (shi)
* → Korean: 시(始) (si)
* → Vietnamese: thuỷ (始)

### Compounds

* 一元復始 / 一元复始 (yīyuánfùshǐ)
* 七始
* 下車之始 / 下车之始
* 下車伊始 / 下车伊始
* 乃始
* 伊始 (yīshǐ)
* 倡始
* 元始 (yuánshǐ)
* 元始天尊
* 先從隗始 / 先从隗始
* 全始全終 / 全始全终
* 初始 (chūshǐ)
* 創始 / 创始 (chuàngshǐ)
* 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià)
* 原始 (yuánshǐ)
* 原始主義 / 原始主义 (yuánshǐzhǔyì)
* 原始人 (yuánshǐrén)
* 原始佛教
* 原始反終 / 原始反终
* 原始林 (yuánshǐlín)
* 原始社會 / 原始社会 (yuánshǐ shèhuì)
* 原始程式 (yuánshǐ chéngshì)
* 原始藝術 / 原始艺术
* 原始要終 / 原始要终
* 原始見終 / 原始见终
* 厲精更始 / 厉精更始
* 古始
* 周而復始 / 周而复始 (zhōu'érfùshǐ)
* 善始令終 / 善始令终
* 善始善終 / 善始善终
* 四始
* 報本反始 / 报本反始
* 太始
* 始亂終棄 / 始乱终弃 (shǐluànzhōngqì)
* 始作俑者 (shǐzuòyǒngzhě)
* 始創 / 始创
* 始基
* 始料不及 (shǐliàobùjí)
* 始料未及 (shǐliàowèijí)
* 始末 (shǐmò)
* 始格 (shǐgé)
* 始業式 / 始业式
* 始生魄
* 始祖 (shǐzǔ)
* 始祖鳥 / 始祖鸟 (shǐzǔniǎo)
* 始終 / 始终 (shǐzhōng)
* 始終不易 / 始终不易
* 始終不渝 / 始终不渝 (shǐzhōng bùyú)
* 始終如一 / 始终如一 (shǐzhōngrúyī)
* 始終若一 / 始终若一
* 始願 / 始愿
* 建始 (Jiànshǐ)
* 從始至終 / 从始至终
* 慎始
* 慎始敬終 / 慎始敬终 (shènshǐjìngzhōng)
* 慎終如始 / 慎终如始
* 慎終若始 / 慎终若始
* 才始
* 旬始
* 曆始 / 历始
* 更始 (gēngshǐ)
* 有始有卒
* 有始有終 / 有始有终 (yǒushǐyǒuzhōng)
* 有始無終 / 有始无终 (yǒushǐwúzhōng)
* 未始 (wèishǐ)
* 本始 (běnshǐ)
* 正始之音
* 正始文學 / 正始文学
* 正始玄風 / 正始玄风
* 正始體 / 正始体
* 泰始
* 渝始
* 無始無終 / 无始无终
* 無始無邊 / 无始无边
* 甘始
* 福為禍始 / 福为祸始
* 秦始皇 (Qín Shǐhuáng)
* 秦始皇陵
* 終始 / 终始 (zhōngshǐ)
* 終始不渝 / 终始不渝
* 終始如一 / 终始如一
* 終而復始 / 终而复始
* 經始 / 经始
* 肇始 (zhàoshǐ)
* 自始至終 / 自始至终 (zìshǐzhìzhōng)
* 與民更始 / 与民更始
* 託始 / 托始
* 請自隗始 / 请自隗始
* 貫徹始終 / 贯彻始终 (guànchèshǐzhōng)
* 起始 (qǐshǐ)
* 開始 / 开始 (kāishǐ)
* 齠始 / 龆始

### References

* “始”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)
* to begin; to start

#### Readings

* Go-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: し (shi, Jōyō)
* Kun: はじめる (hajimeru, 始める, Jōyō)、はじめ (hajime, 始め)、はじまる (hajimaru, 始まる, Jōyō)
* Nanori: とも (tomo)、はじめ (hajime)、はる (haru)、もと (moto)

#### Compounds

* 始(はじめ)値(ね) (hajimene)
* 書(ふみ)始(はじめ) (fumihajime)
* 講(こう)書(しょ)始(はじめ) (kōshohajime)
* 布(ほう)衣(い)始(はじめ) (hōihajime)

### Etymology

* Kanji in this term
* 始
* し Grade: 3
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 始 (MC syiX).

### Affix

始(し) • (shi)
* beginning; start
* initial; first

#### Derived terms

* 始期(しき) (shiki)
* 始(し)業(ぎょう) (shigyō)
* 始(し)原(げん) (shigen)
* 始(し)終(じゅう) (shijū)
* 始祖(しそ) (shiso)
* 始(し)端(たん) (shitan)
* 始(し)点(てん) (shiten)
* 始(し)電(でん) (shiden)
* 始(し)動(どう) (shidō)
* 始(し)発(はつ) (shihatsu)
* 始(し)末(まつ) (shimatsu)
* 開(かい)始(し) (kaishi)
* 起始(きし) (kishi)
* 原(げん)始(し) (genshi)
* 元(げん)始(し) (genshi)
* 更(こう)始(し) (kōshi)
* 終(しゅう)始(し) (shūshi)
* 創(そう)始(し) (sōshi)
* 年(ねん)始(し) (nenshi)
* 無始(むし) (mushi)
* 始(し)球式(きゅうしき) (shikyūshiki)
* 始(し)新世(しんせい) (shishinsei)
* 始(し)生代(せいだい) (shiseidai)
* 始(し)端(たん)部(ぶ) (shitanbu)
* 始(し)発駅(はつえき) (shihatsueki)
* 始(し)末書(まつしょ) (shimatsusho)
* 始(し)末(まつ)屋(や) (shimatsuya)

#### See also

* 初(しょ) (sho)

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 始 (MC syiX). Recorded as Middle Korean 시 (si) (Yale: si) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [ɕʰi]
* Phonetic hangul: [시]

### Hanja

Wikisource 始 (eumhun 비롯할 시 (birothal si)) 始 (eumhun 비로소 시 (biroso si))
* hanja form of 시 (“beginning; start”)
* hanja form of 시 (“initial; first”)

#### Compounds

* 개시 (開始, gaesi)
* 본시 (本始, bonsi)
* 시말 (始末, simal)
* 시작 (始作, sijak)
* 시조 (始祖, sijo)
* 시조조 (始祖鳥, sijojo)
* 시종 (始終, sijong)
* 연시 (年始, yeonsi)
* 원시 (原始, wonsi)
* 조시 (肇始, josi)
* 종시 (終始, jongsi)
* 창시 (創始, changsi)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

始: Hán Việt readings: thủy/thuỷ, thỉ (詩(thi)止(chỉ)切(thiết))
始: Nôm readings: thỉ, thủy/thuỷ, thũy/thuỹ
* chữ Hán form of thuỷ/thủy (“beginning; start; initial”).

#### Compounds

* 原始 (nguyên thủy/nguyên thuỷ)
* 始祖 (thủy tổ/thuỷ tổ)
* 始終 (thủy chung/thuỷ chung)
* 終始 (chung thủy/chung thuỷ)
* 起始 (khởi thủy/khởi thuỷ)
* 開始 (khai thủy/khai thuỷ)

### References

* 1 2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
* 1 2 Trần (2004).
* 1 2 Génibrel (1898).
* 1 2 Bonet (1899).
* ↑ Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).